Harwood Street Garage, Harwood Street, Littleborough, Rochdale, OL15 8NA

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the proposal would satisfy the requirements of the statutory framework for biodiversity net gain
• the effect of the proposal on protected species
• whether the proposal would achieve an appropriate density
• the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The failure to satisfy the statutory framework for biodiversity net gain due to lack of a legal mechanism securing self-build status, combined with the absence of required protected species surveys and the proposal's failure to achieve appropriate density, meant the proposal conflicted with statutory requirements and the development plan with insufficient material considerations to justify approval.